Founder Fuel: Are negative thoughts downgrading your resilience?
Is it me or are our thoughts just a little bit harder to tame these days? It seems a lot of our founders feel this at the moment. You know the drill… you’re trying to sleep, but your brain has decided “let’s do just one more rehearsal of the [pitch / meeting / awkward conversation – delete as appropriate]”. Or you’re trying to focus on something, but the brain is hijacking you saying, “let’s worry a little
Founder Fuel: Are you stealing productivity from your future self with busy procrastination?
As entrepreneurs, there often seems to be some unwritten rule that we should be ‘giving our best’ all the time. That we should be filling every minute with tasks… with ‘output’. But the question is, are you filling it with the right tasks? The ones that are the priority, and that will push your business forward? Written by our cognitive scientist Maria Lehl What is it you’re working hard on? Often we’re working towards major deadlines, but
Founder Fuel: Startup team communication for a work-from-home (WFH) reality
This is part 3 of our series to survive the startup team turbulence of the COVID-19 public crisis - we hope it goes just a little way to help us all get through the next few weeks. Part 1 on founder survival is here, part 2 on spotting sign of stress in your team is here. The most effective startup leaders take an individualised approach to team leadership. By watching, learning and coaching each team member it
Founder Fuel: Spotting stress in your startup team even when you’re remote
In turbulent times, it can be tough enough to manage your own stress as an entrepreneur and startup leader (see your tips here in part 1), but being present and supportive with your team is what will really get you through these tough times as a business; and build effective team relationships in the long-run too. Keep an eye out for overwhelm In these unprecedented times, it is impossible for work commitments and life commitments not to
Founder Fuel: Surviving startup disruption, put YOUR oxygen mask on first…
How are you shoring up? At a time when everything feels disrupted and unsettled, it’s so important we take a moment to ask each other that, and make the time to listen to the real answer. For the good of ourselves, our teams, and our businesses. Put YOUR oxygen mask on first… In these strange times we have to increasingly isolate ourselves, yet this is when we need our communities the most. In the weeks ahead we will need to
Founder Fuel: Turns out we’ve been doing habits all wrong
Whether you buy into resolutions or not (I don’t, I prefer reflections and refocusing) it’s likely that January unearthed something you wanted to change or improve upon. As entrepreneurs we forever see opportunities for optimisation and our personal development certainly falls into that camp too – whether it’s sleeping more, eating healthier, getting to the gym, or snapping at your team less. But as we slide into a blustery February the gap between want and
Founder Fuel: Kick the January blues with focus and friends
Is it just me or do these first few days after the festive break feel a little turbulent? Gone is that pre-Christmas trend of random strangers smiling in the street; the brain is still in a slow gear and, if you’re anything like me, there is a looming sense of overwhelm at the to-do list that I managed to successfully ignore over the Christmas down-time. And that’s before we get lost in the zeitgeist of resolutions that urge us to be
Founder Fuel: Let your brain work its magic this Christmas holiday
“If I can just get this one last thing finished” “I must just get through these emails” “I should just get this out the door” How many times can you hear yourself thinking one of these, or similar, as you speed towards the holiday period? Driven by that little hit of dopamine we get when we tick something off the to-do list we just keep on doing that one last thing and, for many, never quite end up switching off for the
Founder Fuel: Resilience – the #1 requirement for entrepreneurship
When asked what the most important skill or characteristic as an entrepreneur is, the standout winner was Resilience - with 92% of founders selecting it over problem-solving, motivation and even communication. But if it’s so important on the rollercoaster of startup life, what exactly is it and how do we build more of it for the ride? Resilience is widely recognised as a critical successful factor in mental health circles, but now researchers, managers and leaders
Founder Fuel: You are NOT alone
Did you hear about the recent epidemic spreading through our startup ecosystem? It’s loneliness. Yes, loneliness. Even in this buzzing, world-leading ecosystem we’re in, 85% of entrepreneurs feel lonely on the rollercoaster journey we’re all on (Entrepreneur Pressure and Wellbeing Study). Founders are feeling overwhelmed, under-pressure and it hits personally - but no-one is talking about it. As a result, everyone thinks they’re the only one. Let’s sort that right now. You are NOT alone. Ironically it is the